Maybe, I Do
by fegs
Summary: After reuniting at a wedding, a series of chance encounters draw Matt and Sora into a relationship some might say was inevitable; and one that's very foundation could crumble under the demons of her past and the secret he can't afford to expose.
1. Chapter 1

So after over two years of posting absolutely nothing I'm finally back on with a story that's been sitting on my computer for far too long. Most of the Digimon fandom probably doesn't know who I am considering I've only ever posted three one-shots, so hi! I'm Fegs.

This is my first full-length Digimon fic, so please be kind. I'm hoping that since the Sorato fandom has been kind of dead lately that you guys are starved for something new. Like I mentioned, this has been sitting on my computer for a long time untouched and I finally got back to writing it. Obviously, it's an AU about my very favorite pairing. I'm a little nervous since I haven't posted in such a long time, so we'll see how this goes. Reviews are appreciated!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON. These characters are not mine.

Alright, now onto the actual story. Enjoy!

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**1**

... ...

_"There are certain people you just keep coming back to_

_She is right in front of you."_

-All At Once, The Fray

... ...

Catherine was going to kill him.

And for probably the first time ever, Matt feared for his life. Well, figuratively, at least. He was definitely in trouble. Of all days to be late, his unfortunate bad luck chose to surface on the day of his cousin Catherine's wedding.

Twenty minutes late already, it took him another five just to find a parking spot outside the church. His feet carried him as fast as they could away from his car and up the stone stairs into the main foyer. His immediate reaction to the flood of people still finding their seats was a sigh of relief. So he wasn't late after all. Or more like the wedding was starting past its set time. Either way, it seemed luck didn't betray him today.

Across the foyer, he spotted the Groom and headed over.

"Hey Man," he greeted.

Akira grinned, and they clasped hands. "Hey."

"Ready for this?"

He shrugged, visibly nervous. "As I'll ever be."

"Well, you_ are_ marrying Catherine. I'd be nervous too."

Akira was a good guy, much to Matt's relief. Catherine was his only cousin, and as they grew older, he couldn't help but feel an obligation to be protective over her in the way a brother protected a sister.

Matt looked around the foyer before turning back to Akira. "Where_ is_ Catherine?"

"Still getting ready, I suppose." He gestured to a door a few feet away. "In there. I can't see her before the wedding." He stated before adding, "That's what she says, anyways."

That sounded like Catherine. Always following the traditional rules. Matt excused himself from the conversation and headed towards the door. Tentatively, he knocked. "Hey, it's me." Through the door, there was a muffled "come in" and he followed suit.

It wouldn't do her justice to say his cousin looked beautiful. No, it was more like stunning, incredible, breath-taking in her silk white gown and with her blonde hair tied up in a mix of loose curls.

She turned to fully face him, a smile on her fair features.

"Hi, Matty."

Matt bit his tongue to avoid cursing at her for using the nickname he so deeply despised. She dubbed him 'Matty' back when they were just kids. Being three years younger than her, there wasn't much he could do to get her to stop so the name stuck. As they grew older, he began snapping at her each time she said it, but today he would hold his tongue. Just this once.

Exhaling (both out of shock that she looked so incredible and at the tension built up for holding back a response to 'Matty'), he shook his head. "Cath…you look…"

"Thanks," she saved him from searching for the right words.

"You nervous?"

"More like anxious. I just want to be married already!" Her innate impatience shone through. "Do you think I look good enough?"

"Good enough? You look like one of my Mom's porcelain dolls."

She immediately frowned, "You always thought those dolls were creepy."

A chuckle escaped his lips, "Exactly."

She giggled, placing her hands on her hips. "Even on my wedding day, you're still mean to me." She cocked her head to the side, smiling. "Where's TK?"

"I haven't seen him, but I sent him a text earlier. He's here somewhere…probably seated already."

"It's a shame you two aren't girls...I would have made you my bridesmaids," she said in an airy sort of tone. After a moment of actually considering it, her eyebrows drew together. "But then again, you would have fought over who got maid of honor, so maybe it's a good thing you're boys."

"It's definitely a good thing," he answered her.

Catherine ignored him, spinning to check herself in the full length mirror. Taking a step back, she admired herself. "You know, next wedding will be either you or TK. It's crazy, isn't it?"

"TK's a lot closer to getting married than I am," Matt commented matter-of-factly. He hadn't been in what he considered a serious relationship for years while TK had managed to hold a constant relationship with his girlfriend Kari for the past four years. If anyone was getting married next, it was definitely TK, a fact Matt really had no mind to.

"Don't worry, Matty, we'll find you someone." Catherine once again spun to face him. "In fact, I've got a beautiful girl doing entertainment at the reception!"

Talking about girls and relationships with Catherine ensured a never-ending conversation - it was her favourite topic. So at that Matt changed the conversation as fast as turning off a light. "I still don't know why you didn't ask me to perform."

She made a 'tsk, tsk' sound. "Maybe because you haven't performed in front of a crowd in over a year. How do I know if you're still good?"

"I was never that good." He said, and started towards the door. "I guess I should go find TK. I just wanted to wish you good luck."

"Thanks, but I probably won't need it," she grinned. "It's not like I'll trip as I walk down the aisle." Her smile was quick to vanish as the thought sunk in, and her eyebrows drew together. "Oh no, Matt! What if I trip-"

But Matt had already squeezed out the door, tossing another "Good luck" through the crack before he had gone completely.

In only a matter of minutes, people had managed to find their way to their seats and everything seemed ready to go. Matt caught sight of TK's blonde hair and joined him in the second row.

"Where have you been?" TK asked once his brother took his seat next to him.

"Just went to give Catherine a pep talk."

"Yeah right," TK scoffed. "A pep talk about getting married from you? Hell, I'm the only person in our family worthy of giving someone a pep talk about marriage."

The implied stab at their parents' failed marriage drew out an awkward silence between the two of them, one that Matt felt he was obligated to end.

"I thought Kari was coming to this?" He asked, noting that TK's girlfriend was nowhere to be seen.

"She was but something came up…" TK responded, tone changing in the slightest way. Had Matt not been his brother, he may not have detected it. TK must have noticed his brother's curious look because he cleared his throat and went on. "I…uh…wanted to talk to you about Kari, actually. See, I wasn't sure when the right time would be but I really think-"

His words were drowned out by the sound of the organ beginning to play the traditional wedding march. As everyone else in the room did, Matt and TK ended their hushed conversation and turned to the back of the aisle to watch as the bride made her way across.

TK's thoughts would have to be put on hold for later.

… …

Carpooling with his brother probably would have been a better idea than them both driving themselves. The parking lot at the reception was no kinder than the one at the church. Of course, that was most likely Catherine's fault for inviting so many people.

After another struggle to find a decently sized parking spot, Matt finally headed into the hall where the reception was being held.

TK was already at their table, and Matt had his hopes set on finishing what they never talked about in the church. However, as he neared his brother, he realized that he was already busy with someone else. Once Matt was within a few feet of the two, and grasped a good luck at the young woman's face, it struck him that she was no stranger to him.

"Oh! Hey, Matt!" TK greeted after catching sight of him. "I was wondering how much longer you'd take."

"Parking," he justified, and quickly turned his attention to the red headed woman at his brother's side. "Sora Takenouchi…" he smirked, knowing full well just how much she hated when he did that. Pressing her nerves had always been a specialty of his; a talent he enjoyed more than he should.

Her eyes drifted past TK and onto Matt and despite her neutral expression, her voice was soft and welcoming when she greeted him. "Matt Ishida. It sure has been a while."

"So you _do_ remember each other!" TK declared suddenly. "It's been so long since you two had spoken, so I wasn't sure-"

Matt silenced the younger blonde with a look. Holding his gaze a moment longer, a visible understanding washed over TK's face and he nodded. "You know, I'm starving! I think I'll go grab some food and let you two catch up!" He was gone faster than Matt could have hoped for.

Sora frowned. "You didn't have to send him off. I like your brother."

"Well, like he said. We've got some catching up to do."

A small smile that was questionably forced danced across her face and her attention dropped to the floor. Something told Matt that catching up was the last thing she wanted to do, but none of that stopped her usual wit from escaping her. "Still wearing your cocky little smile, I see." She noted casually.

"Still not a fan, I see." He shot back.

She immediately shook her head. "I'm past disliking you, actually. Not worth the effort." There was an air of boredom to her tone, and suddenly she was acting more like she had the last time he'd seen her.

Studying her for perhaps a moment too long, Matt finally spoke up. "Seriously, what's it been? A year?"

"Give or take a couple months, yeah."

"So why so long?" Considering the way they left things, he really didn't need an answer.

She shrugged. "We were never really friends, Matt. I still barely know you."

It was true. Matt had only ever hung out with her on a few occasions, all of which were through their mutual friend, Tai. However it was a surprise to Matt that an entire year had passed since his last encounter with Sora, considering how close they both were to the bushy-haired brunette. Their paths should have crossed at some point, but they never did thanks to an effort surely on Sora's part. She was a champion at avoiding people - the art at its finest, Matt had learned.

Which reminded him as to why she had been avoiding him in the first place…

"Last time I saw you, you slapped me across the face."

That got a laugh out of her. Bitter as it was, it counted. "You deserved it."

"All I did was kiss you."

"You deserved it." She repeated, stronger this time. And just as suddenly as she had reappeared in his life, she switched the topic. "So Catherine's your cousin?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Which begs the question as to why you're here. I didn't even know you two knew each other."

"Oh, we don't. I'm technically not even a guest at this thing."

Well that made…no sense at all. "So you're…crashing?"

Another laugh, this one much more genuine. "Actually, I'm the entertainment." She looked past him, just as she'd been doing the entire conversation. "And it looks like about time I get on stage."

With that, Sora circled around him, making her way to the stage which had been previously empty.

Matt watched her continue on her way, without giving so much as a second glance back at him.

He should have known she was performing here from the moment he caught sight of her. After all, she'd been performing since he'd first met her. In fact, she had been on stage when he first met her.

Even back then she was like this with him.

Tai always told him not to take offence to her cold behavior - she was like that with everybody. But this time there was something different about her, something that changed since their last encounter. Matt couldn't quite put his finger on it for sure, but it was like she was happier and more carefree.

On stage, after welcoming Catherine and Akira to share their first dance, Sora sat quietly and gently began strumming her guitar.

There was a long few minutes of Catherine and Akira dancing while others looked on, but while everyone watched them, Matt's eyes stayed trained on Sora. She was just so immersed in her music, making him wonder if he had ever looked as passionate when he performed. Then, as she finished the bridge of the song and the guitar took its turn softly strumming, her eyes finally looked as if they weren't seeing through every person in the room.

And they landed on him.

He'd spent his whole life maintaining a cool exterior, so keeping a neutral expression wasn't difficult. Inside, however, a million nagging thoughts had surfaced in his mind all thanks to this girl.

Even after all this time, Sora was still a mystery to him.


	2. Chapter 2

So my original plan with this story was to finish the whole thing before uploading at all, that way I don't start posting and never finish. Unfortunately, without posting I don't get any feedback from nice reviewers and therefore have no motivation to write. My point is that your guys' feedback means a lot, so keep it coming and I'll do my best to stick with this.

**Aveza: **I'm glad you enjoyed! Thanks for being this story's first review!

**Thundermuffin:** Same here! This fandom has been so lacking that I've started to go back and reread old ones.

**blueberrrykisses: **I just about fangirled when I saw you reviewed this. It's nice to have the author of one of my favorite stories reviewing mine. As far as the cast goes I'm doing my best to at least have cameos by everyone (by everyone I mean the 01 cast), but the main set of side characters are Tai, Mimi, TK and Kari.

**fantasyguardian **&** mahwish1: **Thank you! :D

And of course thanks to the unsigned reviews as well!

As a side note to anyone wondering, yes the chapters will get longer. With my multi-chapter fics, the first few are always shorter than I like them to be, but they lengthen out eventually.

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**2**

... ...

_"Desperate and hardened_

_Seeking a momentary fix"_

- Mercy, OneRepublic

... ...

"Did she have to pick this place?" Mimi scowled, wrinkling her nose as she followed Sora into the café that was undoubtedly older than both their grandparents.

Sora hushed her friend. "Don't talk so loud if you aren't saying something nice."

"Like I'll take that advice, coming from Miss Cynical herself."

Ignoring her, Sora gazed over the room until she spotted Kari in a booth near the back of the café. She led the way with Mimi shortly behind her until they joined the younger girl.

"Hey, Kari."

The younger brunette looked up to them as they slid into the other side of the booth and offered her signature warm smile. "Thanks for meeting me."

"No problem! We love this place!" Mimi said in a volume louder than necessary. It garnered the attention of several other patrons and she cast Sora a proud, mocking sort of look.

Sora didn't hesitate to roll her eyes and turn her attention to Kari. "So? What's up?"

"Yeah," Mimi added. "Your text was so mysterious that I just knew there had to be something juicy going on."

Kari gave them a secretive type of smile, but didn't give anything away just yet. Instead, she looked to Sora. "I heard you were at Catherine's wedding."

"Yeah. I was a little surprised you weren't TK's date."

"I was supposed to go, but something came up."

"What's more important than a wedding?" Mimi asked, sounding all too serious and slightly horrified.

Used to this sort of behavior, and actually now accustomed to it, Sora couldn't help but laugh at Mimi. She looked to Kari, seeing that the girl was naturally smiling along as well, not offended in the least.

Once their giggles toned down to a minimum, Kari continued. "I was offered a job to photograph for a movie in France. TK's Grandfather had connections and they like my work. I'm leaving in three weeks for a month."

"No. Way!" Mimi gasped, sounding out of breath. "Oh, yay! Kari, I can't even believe it!"

"Congratulations!" Sora grinned, resisting the urge to join Mimi in a squealing fit. Kari deserved this opportunity more than anyone else she knew.

"What about TK? Is he going with you? That'd be so romantic!" Mimi chimed.

Kari shook her head. "No, he's staying here, but I'll be back before you know it." Then, in a motion completely uncalled for, Kari's wide grin fell to a much softer smile. Her eyes were serious, but behind that they beamed with a genuine happiness. All that alone helped Sora realize that Paris wasn't the real reason she and Mimi were called here. She'd known Kari too long, and the look on her face now had to do with so much more.

"Kari…what's going on?"

At that, Mimi's smile fell and she turned to Kari too, concern written over her face. "There's more?"

Now, Kari was not one to show off. She was incredibly humble and modest, but no woman could resist the urge to make a big deal out of the following. Removing her hands from her lap, she held out the left to reveal a small diamond twinkling on her ring finger.

Sora's mouth dropped and her eyes widened, as did Mimi's. For a few seconds, all remained silent as the pair gaped at the diamond.

Mimi looked to Kari first, and asked what Sora was thinking but couldn't organize into words. "Are you pregnant?"

Again, Kari didn't take offence. She simply giggled and shook her head. "No! Why would you think that?"

Sora shook her head in disbelief, and finally removed her gaze from the ring. "It's just…you two are so young."

"I know." She said, and drew her hand back gently. "But I want this, and TK wants this. We're going to get married anyways, so why not when I get back from France?"

"_That _soon?"

"Well, no. We've been planning this for a while, to be honest. We've just kept it quiet. It wasn't even official until last week."

Sora frowned at the fact that this sounded nothing like Kari. The girl she knew would be perfectly comfortable waiting a few more years _because_ they were bound to wed eventually. Rushing wasn't even a word in Kari's vocabulary. Sora couldn't help the concern she was quite suddenly overwhelmed with for her friend.

"Who else knows?" Mimi asked, eyes still lingering on the ring. Her eyes shined with a glee that almost contended with Kari's. Almost.

"Just you two, Tai and my parents. Oh, and TK's brother."

"And how'd they react?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. Once Kari got an idea in her head, there was little you could do to change her mind, and her relaxed behavior was a result of that. Whether their families accepted or not, this marriage was going to happen, so why stress? In a way, Kari's philosophy made Sora sort of envious.

"TK actually asked for my parents' blessing, so they're all for the idea. Tai doesn't like it though. He likes TK, but you know his big brother instinct always kicks in when it's least wanted. And Matt supports TK through everything, so that worked out well too. As for TK's parents, we're telling them tonight."

"Well I'm happy for you!" Mimi declared, and in unison both girls eyed Sora.

She knew what they had hoped to hear from her, but what you wanted to hear and what you expected to hear were two different things. Sora liked to think of herself as accepting, understanding, but it was moments like this that she knew she could never be either of those things.

"You don't have to say anything." Kari said. "I know how skeptical you are, and all I ask is that you please-"

"TK's a good guy, Kari. And although I can't say I agree with this, I really am happy for you." Sora heard the words felt herself say them, but was still surprised that they came from her considering how honest they were.

Part of her expected Kari to be completely unsatisfied with her. After all, who was she to _not _support her friend through this.

But Kari did nothing Sora expected. Instead, she smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that. It's important that my Maid of Honor is happy for me."

Beside Sora, Mimi squealed in absolute excitement. Sora, on the other hand, felt she probably looked stupid with the dumbfounded look plastered on her face. "Y-you want me?"

Grinning, Kari nodded. "It's a lot of work, so you don't have to say yes, but it would mean-"

"I just thought you would ask Yolei…"

"Yolei's great, but Sora, you've been like an older sister to me for as long as I can remember. You deserve this." Kari continued, unaware of just how touching those words were to Sora. "I understand if you don't want to-"

"I'll do it."

Kari stopped, eyes wide. "Really?"

"Sure."

"Are you positive? Because I don't want you doing something you don't want to do."

"I'm sure. Now let's drop this before I change my mind."

Kari nodded, beaming at Sora, and followed suit. She dropped the subject and this time faced Mimi. "And of course, I want you as one of my bridesmaids."

"Ohh, I was hoping you would say that!" Mimi gushed, grinning wildly.

Kari went on to explain several more things - possible dates for the wedding, events leading up to it, the fact that she and TK agreed on an average-sized guest list composed of family and close friends. "I'd like to find a dress before I leave for France." She noted as well, so the three of them set a date to shop and Kari promised to run it by Yolei so she could join also.

Sora offered her assistance with all the traditional duties of the Maid of Honor, an action Mimi also insisted on helping with.

"You can't expect me to let Sora have all the fun, do you?" She asked.

"You two don't have to do all this," Kari told them. "All the work, I mean. I'm the bride so I can take most of the-"

"Don't be silly." Sora interrupted. "You're getting married and we want to help lighten the load since you'll be gone for the next month. Besides, it's in the job description, right?"

The young brunette continued to wear an unsure look, lightly touched with concern. However she pressed no more on the subject. They lingered in the café a while longer, idle conversation taking place until Kari announced she had other places to be. What with everything happening lately - the wedding and photography project - it was no surprise she was running around the city.

"Oh my GOD!" Mimi exclaimed suddenly, just seconds after she and Sora exited the café.

Sora circled around her car and fired Mimi a strange look. "What?"

Climbing into their respective seats, Mimi continued without missing a beat. "I just realized how awkward this wedding is going to be."

Sora raised a single eyebrow, rather excited to hear about this theory. What ran through Mimi's mind never failed to be interesting. "How so?"

Eyes wide, the brunette responded. "Well, you're the Maid of Honor, and being TK's brother, doesn't that entitle Matt to being Best Man? Last time I checked, you two hated each other."

A laugh escaped Sora's lips before she could stop herself. The last time she had ever spoken - more like ranted - to Mimi about Matt Ishida was so long ago she could barely remember it.

"We never hated each other."

"Well you didn't get along, that's for sure. You were always bickering with each other." She paused, pondering on something for a brief moment. "You know, he _was_ really attractive. And come to think of it, you're right. It was always a one-sided hatred because he was _so_ into you."

Sora's scoff came a little too quickly and a little too unnaturally. She pressed her lips together, hoping Mimi didn't catch it. "He was _not_ into me."

"No? I beg to differ. Honestly, I don't know why you never gave him a chance."

It was difficult not to slip up in front of Mimi. That girl talked and talked and sometimes, Sora just wanted to fire back with the first thought that came into her mind. Of course, if she did, everything she had worked to keep hidden would be exposed.

Her eyes never left the road as her friend spoke, and that was the giveaway Mimi managed to catch. She was hiding something and judging by her friend's look, she had figured that out. Mimi was not stupid, especially when it came to her best friend. Sora felt her do a double take of her stony expression, and through the corner of her eyes watched as Mimi's mouth dropped open.

"No! Sora, you rotten sneak!"

"W-what?" A stutter. _Great _defense mechanism.

"You two hooked up!"

_Keep your cool_. "What? Why would you even think that?"

"Don't play dumb with me!" She was practically bouncing in her seat. "But Sora, you hated him!"

"I-"

"Oh my God. It was one of those hot, sexual tension hook-ups, wasn't it? You just couldn't resist."

Sora was ready to defend herself, but had no words to. Because what Mimi said was one hundred percent true. Granted there was still a lot more to it than was being said.

Finally realizing there really was no way out of this, Sora sighed and momentarily took her eyes off the road. "It was a huge mistake. I'm not like that, and you know it."

"Why didn't you tell me when it happened?"

"Because…" She started, but found she couldn't explain. Shaking her head, she ignored Mimi's question and proceeded to defend herself. "Nothing ever happened afterwards. The first time I'd seen him since then was at the wedding I performed at last week."

Mimi's eyes widened even more than they already had, and she shook her head in utter disbelief. "Where? When? Sora, you need to fill me in because I'm so lost!"

It took a moment to respond, not because she had to think to find her answer – all the facts were still fresh in her memory, much to her dismay. No, she paused to collect herself and tell this in the most casual way possible. It wasn't a big deal, so why make it one, right?

"It was almost a year ago, last November. It was right after Mom…" Her voice betrayed her and faltered before she could finish. She really had meant to say it: 'Right after Mom died.' But even after all this time, Sora found the words were difficult to say aloud. So she carried on, knowing Mimi caught on anyway. "I hadn't really been out in the past few weeks so Tai insisted I spend some time with him. I didn't realize we were going to Matt's-"

"Get on with it! The suspense is killing me!"

"Okay, okay! So we were at Matt's for this stupid party and Tai, well, you know how he gets at those things. I was by myself when I ran into Matt and amidst our usual bickering he just…kissed me." She said, her lips twitching upwards at the thought of her reaction. "So I slapped him."

Engrossed expression not faltering for even a second, Mimi continued to gaze expectantly. "That's it? Sora, there has to be more!"

"There isn't."

"You liar! Finish the story!"

It drove Sora mad that Mimi could sniff out the truth so easily when she wanted to. Reluctantly she continued. "It was a case of misplaced judgment, Meems-"

"Sora!"

"Okay! He apologized to me after that and at first I didn't want to hear it. Then he…I don't know. He was so much nicer about it the second time. He was gentler, more serious…" She glanced at Mimi, whose eyebrows were raised, and she shook her head hopelessly. "And so I kissed him back."

For a long moment Mimi stared at Sora, eyes wide and mouth agape. When she finally broke out of the spell, her declaration was dramatic to say the least. "Oh my God! He took advantage of your weakened mind!"

"It wasn't like that, Mimi. I had had one drink. It was just as much my fault as it was his."

"Anything else?" She groaned. "Sora! You're leaving out so much! I know it!"

Biting her bottom lip, Sora knew she had to continue. There was no use avoiding anything with Mimi. Taking in a breath, she responded, "I left after that."

It didn't take long for Mimi to absorb the remainder of it, and when she did, she smiled coyly at Sora. "The dreaded walk of shame! Sora, this is so scandalous!"

"I was under the influence."

"That doesn't matter!"

Sora shrugged, eyes now fully focused back on the road.

"And you never called? Did he even try calling?"

Sora ignored her, but Mimi didn't seem to mind. She went on, excited with this new revelation. "So you never really hated him! Man, this is juicy. So, tell me how awkward that wedding was!"

It was only a small shift in the conversation, but Sora was grateful for it nonetheless. "It wasn't, actually."

"No?"

"I've done a lot of thinking about it since then, and a lot of growing up." Sora explained. "I'm not living my life bitter because of my past anymore, and starting over with Matt was like, the symbolic first step for me. And it went pretty well, if you ask me."

Silence descended over them for a minute or so before Mimi asked in a soft, sincere voice that she rarely ever used. "Are you okay?" That was it. All jokes were aside now and Mimi was playing her role as the caring, compassionate best friend that she was whenever the situation called for it. And for that, Sora was _not _thankful. Talking about 'how she was feeling' wasn't something she wanted to do. Hell, sincere talks like this had never worked for her.

So in her best attempt to avoid dragging out this conversation, she answered with a simple "I'm fine."

Either Mimi caught the message, or she believed her. Something told Sora it wasn't the latter, but she really didn't care.

Because either way, she got what she wanted: The topic was done with.

* * *

Yeah, total lack of Sora/Matt interaction, I know. But it shall be made up for in the coming chapters.

Also, I just want to stress that while TK and Kari are getting married in this fic, this will not turn into a Takari. I have seen too many stories claim to be about one couple and then they end up focusing on another. The TK/Kari engagement is simply something that is necessary for the story to progress the way it does.


	3. Chapter 3

Starting with this chapter on, updates are probably going to take a little longer. Why? Because I'm lazy. Also because I haven't edited anything past this point...which kind of goes back to the whole lazy thing.

**mahwish1: **I'm glad you're enjoying it! I'm glad you like the Takari wedding thing but like I mentioned in chapter 2, I want to stress to anyone else reading that this that those two aren't actually very important characters. I just needed their wedding for reasons you'll see later on.

**LILFOC:** I know it's terrible of me but I haven't decided on set ages yet. All I know is Matt and Sora are in their early 20's, 23-24 roundabouts. And everyone else would be around their corresponding ages.

**Aveza: **Well I hope you like the direction this is going to end up going. Thank you!

**Thundermuffinn: **Thanks! I agree - more people need to start writing Sorato! I'm going into withdrawal.

**blueberrrykisses: **Heh heh, yeah, my chapters always start out pretty short and I don't know why! I'm so happy to have you say I've got the characters on point because that was one thing I was really worried about. As far as Matt not performing, that'll be revealed in a later chapter but I'm warning you, it's not some epic revelation, haha.

**ipurpley: **Yes, love-hate relationships are really overdone on here, but I can't help it! They're my weak spot! I hope you like this enough to continue to stick with it.

Alright, on with the chapter!

* * *

**3**

... ...

_Nothing to relive_

_It's water under the bridge_

_You said it, I get it_

_I guess it is what it is_

- It Is What It Is, Lifehouse

... ...

"No!" The blonde women's voice was shrill and strict. She narrowed her eyes in the mirror at the Sora and continued. "I wanted you to raise the hem by two inches, not four!"

With a subtle roll of her eyes, the redhead was ready to rip this dress into two if her client didn't quit yelling at her. This women was sure to be a beautiful bride (superficially), but her attitude was a whole other story.

Sora had been working with her for about an hour and had had enough. She flipped the hem over and sure enough, she had only shortened it by two inches. Just as the bride requested.

She drew in a steady breath to calm herself before replying. "This is two inches."

Placing a hand on her hip, the blonde continued to admire herself in the mirror. "Whatever. Tighten the corset. I need to make sure you didn't screw up that too."

"Sure," Sora said in an all too friendly tone. Clients like this were sure to be the death of her. Her steady hand reached into the box of pins, and she contemplated laying them straight into the woman's skin instead of the fabric of the dress.

Customers like this were the very reason that Sora considered (on several occasions) leaving the store altogether and living on the money she made from wedding singing, but that would hardly be enough. Singing at weddings was great to do on the side, but she needed something more permanent, hence working at Lush Season.

Overall, the bridal store wasn't a bad job. The pay was great and her coworkers were great, and even most of the customers were easy to work with. But at least once a week she would have a stuck-up woman come in and order her around like she was above everything and everybody. Much like the blonde she was working on now.

A hand gently rested on her shoulder while she continued to tighten the corset, and she turned to see her manager, Maya, looking back at her.

"Your shift ended five minutes ago," she said.

Sora nodded, "I know, I just wanted to finish with this-"

"Go on." Maya said, slowly pushing Sora away from the Bride from Hell. She winked, offering a tiny smile.

Sora threw her a warning stare, and subtly gestured towards the blonde. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want it to get busy and you be the only one here." They both knew it was code for just how awful this bride was.

"You're always trying to carry the burden for everyone, Sora." Maya stated, taking hold of the corset strings. She proceeded to tie it and looked over her shoulder at her. "Go on. I know you have places to be."

"Can we just hurry up with my dress!?" The third occupant of the store demanded, in that same, shrill voice.

Both girls cringed.

"Of course," Maya replied through a clenched jaw. She pulled on the corset harder than she should have, causing a sharp exhale from the wearer.

Sora looked on sympathetically towards her manager before grabbing her things from behind the counter. "Thanks Maya. See you tomorrow."

Thankful to finally have shaken off the burden of dealing with such an antsy customer, Sora couldn't help but exhale relief once she sat in her car. Maya was right; she had somewhere else to be and probably shouldn't have stayed longer than her shift. It was just the idea of leaving poor Maya to deal with the Bride herself made her feel a pang of guilt.

Nonetheless, Kari and TK's engagement party was starting in about ten minutes and she still had to go home and clean herself up. So she started her car and drove slightly over the speed limit until she reached her apartment. Similarly, after throwing on a presentable set of clothes and touching up her hair and make-up, she sped to the Takaishi residence.

It was no secret that TK's Mother's side of the family was extremely well off when it came to money, but Sora was still left in shock as she pulled in front of the mansion for the first time. Just trekking up the over-sized driveway was like an adventure on its own, that only prompted theories as to what the place was like on the inside.

Hardly expecting to be bombarded once she entered through the front door, she jumped at having her name shouted into her ear.

"Sora!" Tai was by her side in a second, throwing an arm over her shoulder and wearing a smile that looked just a little too forced. He lowered his voice and began muttering into her ear. "Please tell me you think they're crazy too. I can't be the only one who thinks Kari and TK are making a mistake."

Sora eyed him, and shook her head a little. "No comment."

"What's that? Is that doubt you're implying?"

He looked hopeful, and Sora couldn't help but laugh.

"Give it up Tai. I know you're just being a big brother, but they're getting married and there isn't much you can do to stop it."

A small pout appeared on his face, a look he'd mastered since childhood. "I can't believe she's getting married before I am."

"So that's what this is about?" Sora quirked an eyebrow, a hint of accusation in her voice.

"No! I'm loving the single life, Sor. I'm just saying that you would think the wiser, better looking sibling would be wed first."

Oh, had he ever set himself up for that one. Sora grinned proudly, "Isn't that what's happening?"

In response, Tai pushed her a little too strongly and she nearly knocked over a lamp. She would have pushed him back, but chose against it. Maybe if they were at the Kamiya's right now she would have, but getting into a brawl at the Takaishi's wasn't the best of ideas.

Instead, she nudged him in the side lightly with her elbow and folded her arms in front of her.

"Nah…" Tai began, jokes aside. "I am happy for them. It just took a while for it all to sink in." He shrugged. "I mean, my little sister's getting _married_."

"It'll be you next." She told him matter of fact-ly.

"In a long, long time. Like I said, Sor. I'm loving the single life!" He announced. "Now I know why you're so crazy about it!" The words slipped from his mouth before anything could have even stopped him. Immediately after, he pressed his lips tightly together. Eyes wide, Tai stared at Sora, clearly wishing to take his words back.

She quickly shook her head, a forced laugh escaping her lips. "Don't worry about it. You don't have to watch every little thing you say when you're around me."

"I know, I just-"

"Look, this," she gestured around her. "Is not the place to talk about it. In fact, I'd rather we never speak of that again, which is something I've told you multiple times but you never seem to listen." With each word, her tone subconsciously sharpened and by the end it was as if she were scolding Tai.

He held up his hands in defense. "Whoa, alright, alright! I don't want to deal with angry Sora so let's just move on." Dropping his hands back to his sides, he switched the topic. "How was work?"

Thinking of the bride from hell, Sora cringed. "Try again. That might bring out angry Sora too."

"Okay…I hear you saw Matt at his cousin's wedding last week…and you were nice to him? Mind telling me about that?"

Sora opened her mouth to reply, but stopped when she spotted the very blue-eyed blonde headed their way. "Speak of the devil," she muttered.

"Well, well. Matt, we were just talking about you!" Tai stated. His voice suddenly lowered much like it did earlier and he continued. "You think Kari and TK are crazy too, right?"

Sora nudged him in the ribs again, harder this time.

Matt merely shook his head. "You're unbelievable, Tai."

"I just wanna make sure there's some other sensible people out there."

"Did you ever consider that maybe we _are_ all sensible people and you're the crazy one?"

A snicker escaped Sora's lips, which drew Matt's attention to her.

Hands resting loosely in his pockets, he nodded at her. "Hey, Sora. How's it going?"

"Same as the last time you saw me. Not much can happen in a week, you know." She answered.

"Kari and TK are engaged now, and they weren't last week, so I beg to differ." He countered.

"Point taken."

Amidst their conversation, Tai looked on, an interested expression written all over his face. Once the opportunity showed itself, he cut in. "This is weird. I think I liked it better when she was mean to you."

"Me too." Matt agreed casually, turning to face Tai. "Smiles don't really suit her."

Folding her arms, Sora raised her eyebrows. "Mhm. And you two realize that she's still here."

Tai chuckled while Matt grinned. Then, Tai's laughter ceased and he looked from Sora to Matt repeatedly. "You know…I think the three of us would make the perfect team in 'Operation stop Kari and TK's wedding!'"

Not this again. Searching for an out took about two seconds for Sora, for she caught sight of the perfect excuse to make a break for it. "Look! It's the bride and groom!" She exclaimed, already sneaking around Tai and Matt. "I think I'll go officially congratulate them!"

With her name being called out by Tai, demanding she come back because he "was just kidding," Sora only found the initiative to hurry along faster. She adored her best friend, but his jokes only held effect for so long before she developed a particular distaste toward them. That and she really did have to congratulate TK, as that hadn't been done yet.

She neared the couple, who were already in another conversation with Mimi and Yolei. Once Mimi spotted her, she broke into a grin and grabbed her by the arm to draw her closer. There was a scary glint in her eye that Sora chose to ignore, but the look quickly vanished.

"Sora! We were just saying how we needed you!"

"Oh?"

"Kari's leaving in two weeks, so you, me and Yolei need to take her dress shopping like, really soon." Mimi explained.

"And we'll also be looking for our bridesmaids dresses." Yolei added.

At that, Kari stepped in. "I know its rushed, but we've got a date with the Church now and I'll only have a couple months after I get back from France before the wedding, so-"

"A couple months!?" Sora cut her off. "You guys sure aren't wasting any time."

TK grinned, and tossed an arm over Kari's small frame. "The sooner I'm married to Kari, the sooner I'll have her in my kitchen."

Taking after Sora, Kari didn't hesitate to jab TK in the ribs with her elbow. Her jab must have been a lot harder, however, because TK recoiled and began laughing.

"Kidding! I meant to say I can't wait to marry Kari." Glancing at his fiancé, he added, "And that's all!"

"Anyway," Clearly still amused with TK, Kari took a moment to continue. "I don't want to be too overwhelmed when I'm back from France. So I'd like to do as much as we can before I leave."

"We could even go to your store!" Mimi suggested, and Sora shook her head.

"I know what we have in there. We haven't had any nice shipments lately."

"I'll take your word for it," Kari giggled.

"Well," Mimi started, suddenly grabbing Sora by the arm again. She began to lead her away, "This has been a lovely conversation, but Sora and I have something to talk about, so if you'll excuse us…"

In a low whisper, Sora asked, "We do?"

"Don't pretend you don't know! I saw you talking to Matt, and after what you told me the other day, I'm not letting this go by without an explanation!"

Considering this was Mimi, and she tended to see and know all, Sora really should have seen that one coming. Allowing Mimi to drag her quite a ways away from everyone, she ran through the options in her head that would help her to explain this one.

… …

From the second he walked in the door, Matt knew that his Dad wasn't present. Of all the fifty or so people his Mother had invited to the engagement party, Hiroaki clearly wasn't on the guest list. And knowing his Dad, it wasn't because he didn't want to be here.

After being stopped by several family friends that he hurriedly visited with he finally reached his Mother, who was chatting with one of her work friends.

"Mom, a word?" He whispered, attempting to keep up a polite exterior despite the many words he was biting his tongue to keep in.

Taking the hint, her colleague excused herself and wandered off.

Not one for beating around the bush, Matt was quick to ask. "Where's Dad."

"You're Father couldn't make it." She answered dully.

"Couldn't make it or wasn't invited?"

A small shuffle of her feet and the diversion of her eyes to a random piece of furniture told Matt that it was the latter.

He shook his head in disappointment. "TK would want Dad here."

"TK isn't the host of this party." She countered.

Matt sighed. "But it's to celebrate_ his_ engagement!"

His Mother was too headstrong for her own good, a trait that she had passed that along onto him. Unfortunately, that meant she was too stubborn to admit that she was wrong in not inviting their Father, who really only had hard feelings with one person in this room.

Her.

It was this fact that helped Matt immediately decide he was done here. Taking her in small doses was all he ever could handle, or else he was sure much worse would eventually be said.

"When are you going to realize that this day isn't about you?" Were his parting words before leaving her to 'TK's' party.

He figured that maybe he would find Tai and they could head out to the bar for a while. Surely his friend would be bored and more than willing to leave the party by now too.

His plans changed, however, when a familiar looking brunette suddenly appeared in front of him. It only took a split second for him to remember who she was - yet another girl he hadn't seen in far too long. Sitting on the couch next to where they were standing, Sora looked up at him.

"Matt!" Mimi announced, smirking flirtatiously. She was so good at it that it was obvious the look came naturally to her. "Do you remember me? You look a little confused."

"Of course I remember you, Mimi. Who could forget you?"

She visibly blushed. "You flatter me, hun. It's just been so long…" she glanced at Sora, who looked amused with their little interaction. "And of course you remember Sora."

Matt knew he wasn't mistaken when he saw the two girls exchange a pair of very questionable looks before Mimi faced him again.

Unsure of what to say, he searched for an appropriate icebreaker. "You two need a re-fill?" He settled on, spotting the half-empty drinks in their hands.

They looked towards him simultaneously, but Mimi was the first to reply. Shaking her head, she mock stumbled backwards. "Thanks, gorgeous, but I think it's about time I cut myself off."

Still seated, Sora giggled at her friend.

"But Sora could do with a couple more drinks…actually scratch that. You know how she gets when she's drunk-"

"Mimi!" The redhead jumped from her seat and shushed her friend. She took Mimi's drink and placed it on the table. "I think you've had enough alcohol for one night."

Matt swore he caught a warning look in Sora's eyes as she stared down Mimi. The brunette eyed Sora back for a moment before breaking into a grin. "Which is why I'm cutting myself off! Now, I'll leave the two of you to-"

Sora cleared her throat, a dangerous venom in the look she gave Mimi.

"I'm shutting up!" Mimi threw her hands up in defense, backing away slowly. A smile still dancing on her flushed face, she shared a final look with Sora before heading off in a much quieter fashion.

Staring after her friend for a few moments longer, Sora sighed when she finally turned back to Matt. "I'm sorry about her. When she drinks it's like there's five Mimi's in there instead of just one."

Matt couldn't help but chuckle. "Blame it on the alcohol."

"Exactly."

It really didn't take long for Mimi's strange behavior to suddenly click in his brain, and Matt cocked his head. "You told her."

As expected, Sora's face flushed to a light pink and she shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"About November."

"Is that what we're calling it?" Sora asked slyly, despite her evident embarrassment.

For nearly a year Matt had meant to bring this up, but he and Sora had an agreement not to speak of it. On her terms, of course. However, since Mimi clearly knew what had happened, Matt felt it was only fair that he could bring up said events to Sora.

"I thought you didn't want anyone to know?"

"I_ don't_ want anyone to know." She stressed, taking down the remainder of her drink. Dangling the empty glass in her hand, she made it clear that moving on from this conversation was a smart move for both of them. "How about that re-fill?"

That was hardly fair, in Matt's humble opinion, but he wasn't too keen on making Sora angry. Especially now that he had the opportunity to talk with her alone, for the first time in far too long.

Leading the way into the oversized kitchen, Matt went straight to the fridge to pull out a couple of beers. "This beats the drinks my Mom's serving out there."

"You sure we can have these?"

"Yeah, it'll be fine." He answered, passing Sora a bottle and then breaking open his own. After a quick sip, he focused on her. "So I never really got the chance to tell you at Catherine's wedding, but you were really great."

"You sound surprised," she noted rather indifferently.

"Well I wasn't sure what to expect. That was my first time watching you perform in a while, and you were really impressive."

"Thanks. I guess that means a lot coming from the infamous Matt Ishida." She paused, pondering on something for a moment. "Are you still doing all those gigs you used to do?"

He shook his head wistfully. "I quit a while ago."

"Why?"

Why? No one had ever asked him that before, although he was certain of the answer. "I didn't have any inspiration. I couldn't write good songs anymore, so I quit."

A single eyebrow raised, Sora shook her head. "That sounds depressing."

He shrugged. "You wouldn't know how that feels though, considering how well you're doing."

"Sure I do." She responded, a hint of bitterness escaping her voice. It disappeared immediately however, as she continued. "But I've just started writing based on what I see in other people's relationships. Like TK and Kari's."

"Not your own?"

A quick, defiant shake of her head and Sora answered. "I'm not in to the whole…relationship thing."

Unpredictably, Matt found himself chuckling at the dry irony in her statement that was spoken so casually.

Seeming slightly annoyed, Sora shot a warning look at him. "Why are you laughing?"

"It's a little ironic, don't you think?" He explained. "The wedding singer doesn't believe in relationships."

"I said that I'm not in to them. Other people can throw around their feelings all that they want, but that's never been something I want for myself." Her words flew out so flawlessly that anyone would believe she had rehearsed them. After her mini-rant, Sora set her beer down on the counter and began heading out of the kitchen.

Evidently confused, Matt pressed after her. "Hey, hold on a sec-"

She paused and turned to face him, but the look on her face told him that she wasn't going to stay much longer. "It was nice talking to you, Matt, but we really shouldn't isolate ourselves from the rest of the party." As it had just a week ago, the friendly tone she used to speak to him remained uncalled for. Granted, that was only because he had grown used to her quips at him. Quips that were long gone, as it seemed.

"I'm sure no one minds," he said. "But if you're really that afraid of being alone with me-"

"Don't even start, Ishida." A playful but warning smirk on her face, she cut him off abruptly and began backing out of the kitchen. Pausing at the entrance, she raised her eyebrows expectantly. "Well, are you coming?"

He couldn't help it. The way she was looking at him; so innocent and effortless, made one side of his mouth turn up in a half smile. And he followed her.


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, I know I said the next update would take a while longer, but I didn't plan for it to take this long. Basically, my old computer broke. It literally just died and I lost chapters 7-9 because I hadn't already emailed to myself. So for the past month I just completely gave up on writing because I was so upset about it. Then, about three hours ago I finally started rewriting my lost chapters and my computer crashed so I lost about two pages worth of work. You can imagine how well that went over.

So, I'm hoping that by posting another chapter I'll find some kind of motivation to get on rewriting my lost chapters. So many apologies if the next update takes a while again.

Thanks for your reviews on the last chapter! I'd make this a longer A/N but I'm going to try to get back to working on those chapters, so I hope you enjoy.

* * *

4

... ...

_"Love is a ruthless game_

_Unless you play it good and right"_

-State of Grace, Taylor Swift

... ...

Lips slightly pursed and brow furrowed in deep concentration, Sora listened to the simple tune she strummed on her guitar. It was really nothing special, and definitely nothing she would play in front of a crowd. In all honesty, she didn't even consider herself that good at playing, and often found herself resorting to singing covers over her own lyrics.

All that considered, she still continued to strum the tune once more, in hopes of it finally working out. This time, however, after a relatively smooth start, a knock on her front door captured her attention. Setting her guitar on the couch, she walked to the door and opened it to find Mimi standing still. A very red in the face, cheeks tear-stained Mimi.

"Whoa, are you okay?"

Welcoming herself in, Mimi violently shook her head. "It's Michael!" She announced. She walked past Sora into the kitchen, and plopped herself onto a chair.

"Meems," Sora began softly, joining her friend in the kitchen. "What's wrong? What'd he do?"

Between her sniffles, somehow Mimi found time to reply. "You know…I think I should just join you and you're stupid no dating life. It sounds so much better than all this."

Okay, now Sora knew something was up. This wasn't like all those other times when Mimi showed up because of some pointless fight with her boyfriend. Something really was wrong for Mimi to say she was considering giving up dating, even if she didn't mean it.

"What's going on?"

"It's nothing…don't worry about it."

Not willing to take such an inconclusive response, Sora repeated her question.

Amidst her sniffles, Mimi managed to provide an audible answer. "Ask his other girlfriend."

And just like that, Sora's blood ran hot. Her hands tightened into fists and she bit her tongue to keep from cursing.

Mimi, on the other hand, seemed relieved just to speak the words. She stood from her chair and began rooting through Sora's freezer.

"That smug piece of-" Sora began, but Mimi cut her off.

"Don't you have any ice cream?" she asked, but it sounded more as if she was talking to herself.

Catching her off guard, Sora took a moment to react. She shook her head and just a little bit of her anger slipped away at the thought that Mimi wanted ice cream at a time like this. Then again, it was the universal comfort food. "I could pick some up."

"Don't do that for me." Mimi shut the door and leaned onto the fridge. "I just needed to talk to someone."

Sora couldn't help but pity Mimi. She knew her friend wouldn't want that, but she really couldn't help herself. That particular kind of pain was something she was all too familiar with and she would never wish it on someone else, least of all her best girl friend.

"So talk," Sora told her. "Rant all you want about that bastard. And then after we can go slash his tires."

"This is why I didn't want to tell you!" Mimi pouted. "You'd go all crazy Sora on me."

"I'm not crazy yet. I could do a hell of a lot more than just slash his tires. That would be crazy."

Despite her current state of mind, Mimi giggled. "Sometimes I think the world would be safer if we kept you in a cage."

Sora shrugged, and considered the idea. "Or we could throw people like Michael into one cage, and have them fight it out for entertainment. They could put it on TV!"

That got Mimi laughing even louder, and Sora was proud to have been the cause. Mimi crying was too much for anybody to handle.

Sora's phone ringing broke through their bitter giggles, and she had to collect herself before answering.

"Hello?" She asked through a couple of light chuckles.

"Sora?"

She immediately recognized Tai's voice.

"Did I leave my jacket at your place?"

Frowning, Sora did a quick look over of her apartment. "Where'd you leave it?"

"I think I hung it up."

Quickly, she made her way towards the alcove by her front door where she hung up all her jackets and sweaters. On the far end was Tai's old, black soccer jacket he'd had since his high school team days.

"Yeah." She answered him.

"I'm in the neighborhood. I'm gonna come pick it up."

"Sure." A sudden idea bloomed in her mind and Sora added, "You could hang out a bit if you want."

"Well I'm with Matt right now, if you don't mind him hanging too."

She hesitated for a split second, but decdided she could care less who Tai was with as long as it wasn't Michael. She knew Mimi, and what would help Mimi cope is to be surrounded by friends who made her laugh. And ice cream.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Oh! And pick up some ice cream on the way!" She added and hung up before he had the chance to argue. Turning to Mimi, she said, "Tai and Matt are coming over. And they're bringing ice cream!"

"Yay!" Mimi cheered, her face drying up from the tears already. Perhaps if she had been more serious with Michael, it would have been tougher for her to heal, but they had only been seeing each other for two months and she never declared real feelings for him. It was the cheating issue that had prompted such a reaction from Mimi, understandably. That and she had always been a readily emotional person.

Not ten minutes after Tai's phone call, the pair showed up, two litre containers of ice cream in hand.

"That'll be ten dollars," Tai pulled the ice cream out of Sora's reach and she frowned.

"Fine. But I'm keeping your jacket."

"Touché, my friend. Fine." He handed her the two boxes, which chilled her hands instantly. "Why'd you need ice cream so bad anyway?"

Now this, Sora had to play out properly. She was positive that the last thing Tai wanted to deal with right now, or anytime for that matter, was Mimi in distress. So she circled around Tai and Matt and shut her front door, keeping them from making a quick escape. To run away, they would have to get through her.

"Is it them!?" Mimi's voice called from the living room, and Sora bit the inside of her cheeks when Tai turned on her.

He put together the situation fast, looking first at the ice cream, then Mimi's red face, then at Sora. Even Matt seemed to notice what was going on, of course he didn't understand what the big deal was. Well, he would soon.

Before Tai, Matt or Sora could say a thing, Mimi joined them by the door and her eyes lit up. "OH! You brought my favorite!" She snatched the ice cream from Sora's hands then looked to Tai and Matt. "Come on! Me and Sora were gonna watch a movie!"

"Gee, thanks Meems, but uh…see, Matt and I-"

"I'm okay with staying."

All three of them, Mimi, Tai and Sora, looked to Matt at once. Sora couldn't guess why he had agreed so quickly, but she really didn't care. She caught his eye, and ever so slightly he raised an eyebrow, as if to say you're welcome. So he had caught on.

It looked like Sora would have some company to help her out with Mimi, for which she was thankful.

Tai, however, seemed to have a different take on the situation. He scratched the back of his head and sighed heavily. "Alright, I guess a movie wouldn't be too bad."

Mimi didn't even seem to notice Tai's unwillingness. She was already making her way back to the living room couch.

"Great!" Sora exclaimed. Tai glared at her from the side and just for giggles, she grinned back. She was going to get shit for this later, but at the moment she didn't really care. Tai's dramatic behavior was so entertaining, it was worth it. Once he had headed into the living room, Sora waited for Matt to look her way before she mouthed the word 'thanks.'

… …

Not even five minutes into the movie, Mimi had begun telling Tai the entire story of what had happened between her and Michael. Matt listened for the first part, long enough to gather that Mimi's boyfriend had cheated on her. That was the part that he stopped listening, which was fine because that was also around the time that Tai's awkward comforting began.

It was no secret that Tai and Sora were about as close as two people could get without being something more. Tai and Mimi on the other hand, well, Matt had never known what to make of that relationship until now. For years he listened to Tai complain about Mimi's lack of…well, everything. But it was moments like this that made Matt realize that Tai did care about Mimi. How much or in what way was still a bit of a mystery, but it was at least enough to put some real effort into comforting her.

"Eavesdropping isn't very polite," Sora suddenly told him in a hushed voice. The lights were out, but Matt could still make out the joking look on her face.

"They're right next to me, it's not eavesdropping."

"At least be a little more stealthy about it."

He scoffed. "What do you even know about being stealthy?"

"Apparently a lot more than you."

"I beg to differ. You're one of the most obnoxious people I know."

"You've got to be kidding me! You're friends with Tai, the King of all obnoxious people, and you have the nerve to tell me that I'm worse?"

"I didn't say you were worse," Matt corrected her. "I'm just saying, if Tai's the King, then you're like, the Queen."

Sora shook her head, laughing quietly. She was just about ready to make another snappy reply but was cut off by an urgent groan. Every pair of eyes in the room landed on Mimi, the source of the very odd whine.

"I just realized he has all my stuff." She declared, lips forming a tiny pout.

"Stuff?"

"Yeah, my stuff. CD's, movies, clothes I left over there."

It was quiet for a short while, no one quite sure what to say until Sora finally spoke up. "So let's go."

Mimi looked up at her. "Go?"

"Yeah. Let's go get your stuff."

"Right now?"

"Sure."

Tai then hopped up from his seat on the couch, grinning like an excited five year old. "I agree with Sora. There's no better time to pick everything up than with a group of people who can kick this guy's ass."

Apparently it was an easy task, restoring Mimi's chipper self. She visibly brightened at the thought and nodded her head. "'Kay!"

Then, as quickly as their adventure was decided, everyone turned to face Matt, who hadn't said a word.

"You in, Man?" Tai asked.

Honestly, this didn't sound like the most appealing thing to Matt. Encounters like this between ex's only led to further issues - he knew that better than anyone thanks to his parents. But the way they were all looking at him - Tai's eager expression, Mimi's hopeful look, and the dangerously determined twinkle in Sora's eyes - was enough to convince him this might not be so bad. Maybe even worth it.

"I'll drive."

… …

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea." Mimi said, sounding more like she was just voicing her thoughts instead of directly talking to anyone.

Tai shook his head. "You can wait in the car if you want. I'll have no problem storming into this guy's place for you."

"No, it's not the facing him part that I'm worried about. I'm just worried his no-good, sleazy, hopefully ugly, lover isn't there with him. Or I might not be able to control myself."

"I don't get how a girl could possibly do that," Sora said. "If you know a guy is in a relationship, why even bother with him."

Matt had been silent for the whole ride while the other three chattered away, but immediately after Sora's last words, Tai and Mimi stopped talking too. It was then that Matt realized something was going on that he didn't, nor was he supposed to, know about.

"Why so quiet, Matt?" Tai asked suddenly. catching the blonde off guard.

He shrugged, unsure of how to respond. He supposed it was because he had been thinking. They were going to this Michael guy's house, a guy who cheated on Mimi, to get all of her things back. Yet Sora was the one who seemed more set on this idea than anyone else on the car. And now with her last comment about girls hooking up with an unavailable guy, and of course her lack in belief in relationships that existed since the moment he first met her…it was all adding up. He had been entertaining the thought that maybe Sora had been cheated on before.

"That's it." Mimi confirmed as they pulled in front of an average sized condo.

Matt slowed to a stop and everyone but him began unbuckling their seatbelts.

"Uh uh." Sora reached forward from the back seat and shooed Tai's hand away from his seatbelt. "You're staying in here."

Tai looked alarmed, and then offended. "Why?"

"Because if you come in with us, there's sure to be a brawl."

"So what? I'm just supposed to wait here?"

"Yeah. Wait with Matt. Mimi and I will be back real quick."

"Sora, you don't expect me to let you guys go into that house with this creep without a bodyguard."

"Actually, I agree with Sora, Tai." Mimi spoke up. "It might just cause more problems if I show up with a bunch of friends. All I want is to get my stuff and get out of there."

Scowling, Tai looked from Sora to Mimi, to Matt for some help that he wasn't going to receive, and back to the girls. "Fine. But if you start taking a long time, or there are any problems, I'm coming in."

"Fair enough." Sora said, sliding out her door, Mimi mimicking her on the opposite side.

Matt and Tai watched silently as the girls headed up the driveway and rung the front doorbell. It took another couple of rings before finally, a tall, blonde man opened the door. He and Mimi exchanged a few hasty words, Sora hovering behind her friend. It looked for a moment like they might have to call Tai up for help, but then Mimi pushed past Michael, Sora following shortly behind her. Michael looked startled, forced to step aside in his own home, then his face contorted with anger as he followed the girls in, slamming the door shut behind him.

"That didn't look good," Tai muttered quietly. "Maybe I should head in."

"Just wait, Tai." Matt told him, his first real words since they left Sora's apartment. "They aren't kids. They can handle this themselves."

Despite his evident disagreement, Tai remained in the car.

The engine hummed as the car idled, waiting just as Matt and Tai were. It was a few minutes later when Tai cleared his throat.

"I'm just used to protecting them. It's like with Kari. I've known Sora since we were kids and Mimi since high school and I guess I can't help taking responsibility. It's almost a natural instinct."

They were close, Tai and Matt. Tai was the closest guy friend Matt had ever had, the best friend Matt had ever had. Yet, they never talked about things like this with each other. Tai was always having fun and Matt was always closed off. They understood each other enough to not need talks like this, so neither were particularly good at it when it was necessary.

"I'm like that with TK." Matt said, "So I get it. But Sora can take care of herself."

A sly grin appeared on Tai's face. "Don't forget Mimi."

Shit. What a careless slip. Matt looked at Tai from the corner of his eye.

"You still crazy about her?" Tai asked, catching Matt off guard.

"Still?"

"I may not notice a lot of things Matt, but I definitely know when my best friend is interested in my other best friend."

"I'm not crazy about anyone."

Tai chuckled. "Whatever." As his laughter quieted, his smile faded and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and chin over his clasped hands. It was incredible how quickly he could go from happy-go-lucky Tai to serious Tai.

"Look, you're the best guy I know Matt, your long list of old flames aside. I know you played mind games with those other girls, but as weird as it sounds, I know you wouldn't do that to Sora." he slowed, searching for the right words. Something told Matt he didn't give this speech to a whole lot of guys. Finally, he picked up again. "Honestly, there's no guy I'd trust Sora with more than you. So don't take this the wrong way but I still have to give you a fair warning."

Matt listened without speaking a word. Really, he had never expected Tai to be so accepting when it came to his interest in Sora. He had expected more of a 'stay away from my friend!' speech.

"Don't hurt her. That girl has been through more than anyone should ever have to go through, and I swear if you hurt her I won't hold back."

The speech was sudden, and over as soon as it began, Matt considering each of Tai's words carefully. Nobody knew him better than Tai did, and if Sora were Matt's best friend, he would never trust her with a guy like himself. Obviously Tai saw something mildly redeeming if he offered his approval so thoughtfully.

Or maybe he was just offered Matt the warning because he already knew something inevitable was happening.

Either way, Matt appreciated that he wouldn't have to betray his best friend by sneaking around with Sora. That is, if there was anything currently happening. Matt couldn't help but feel he was at a sort of standstill with her.

"I won't hurt her." He replied, aware of just how hard Tai could actually punch.

Tai nodded, "Good."

For a moment, Matt almost wanted to tell Tai about the night he spent with Sora last year. And he almost did. In fact, it wasn't the events of that night that he had even cared about hiding from Tai. No, there was a missing calculation in that story that Tai knew about that no one else did, not even Sora. And if he told Tai, who was smart enough to string the two factors together, something told Matt that all of this would end in disaster.

So Matt joined Tai in a silence that didn't last long. Michael's front door flew open, catching their attention.

Mimi was out the door first, holding a box of what could only be her 'stuff.' Sora was still shortly behind her and shortly behind Sora was Michael.

Michael was nearly a head taller than Mimi, so his long legs made it easy for him to catch up to her and grab hold of her arm, jerking her to a stop and spinning her to face him.

Matt sensed Tai's body immediately tensing up beside him.

Mimi was yelling something at Michael, who's hand was still gripping her arm so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.

Suddenly, Sora was next to them, grabbing Michael's arm and trying to free Mimi from his grasp. He didn't even glance in Sora's direction when he released Mimi and shoved his arm towards Sora's body to shake her off. Sora stumbled a few steps backward and that was when Tai reached for his door.

"That's it," he spat.

But before he could even open his door, Sora had marched right back up to Michael and thrust her fist into his face. It was literally hard enough to throw him backwards, his hand clutching the spot on his jawbone that her fist collided with.

Matt's mouth parted in awe and Tai fell back into his seat as the girls ran to their respective doors and piled back into the car. Throwing the car into drive, Matt pulled out of the driveway and down the street, leaving a cursing Michael on his front lawn.

Tai roared with laughter before spinning in his seat, "I thought the point of me staying in the car was so Michael didn't get punched."

After a punch like that, adrenaline was still beating through Sora. A flush painted her cheeks and she replied matter-of-factly. "He was asking for it."

"It was fantastic." Tai declared. "I haven't seen you throw a punch like that since high school!"

Sora giggled and admitted, "It felt pretty good."

Turning to Mimi, Tai asked, "Did you get all your things?"

The brunette girl beamed, "Yep! Every last bit of it."

"I guess you girls don't need my help anymore. Not with Sora throwing hits like that."

"What can I say?" Sora shrugged, obviously growing prouder and prouder of herself.

Matt glanced up at his rear-view mirror, only for a second to find Sora's eyes looking right back at him. They simultaneously looked away.

Despite the excitement currently around him, Matt couldn't help reliving Tai's speech. He held each bit of it in fair regard, but there was a particular part that he just knew was going to eat away at him.

It wasn't the warning, 'Don't hurt her.'

It wasn't the very vague 'That girl has gone though more than anyone should ever have to go through.'

And it wasn't the compliment, 'There's no guy I'd trust Sora with more than you.'

It was the first set of words that left Tai's mouth: 'I know you played mind games with those other girls, but as weird as it sounds, I know you wouldn't do that to Sora.'

Matt grimaced. If only Tai knew that he already had been, that he _was_ playing the worst of mind games with her.

Maybe he wouldn't be so trusting.


End file.
